Laura Shovan's Blog, page 16

Takedown: Source List

Hello, friends and readers.

One of my favorite things about being an author is doing research. When my children were in elementary school, I worked part-time as a features writer for Baltimore’s Child magazine and my local edition of The Baltimore Sun. As a newcomer to Maryland, the job helped me get to know my new community. It also taught me how to interview people, visit an event or location and catch interesting details, and how to write on a deadline.

As a fiction writer, my sources tend to come from four main places: non-fiction books, newspaper articles, personal interviews, and personal observations (sometimes called gonzo research — either going to or participating in an event related to the story). Documentaries and YouTube videos are another go-to resource.

Takedown is about two middle school wrestlers, Lev and Mikayla. It will be published on June 19, 2018 (Random House Kids).

In order to be transparent, I am going to create a list of sources I use for my books, beginning with Takedown.

Takedown is a wrestling story. When I started drafting the book in fall of 2015, it had been several years since my son put on a singlet, headgear, and wrestling boots. I had a lot of research to do in order to relearn the sport.

TAKEDOWN: Sources and works consulted

(I’ll be adding to this list periodically as I look through my notes. It’s going to look informal at first. I’ll come back and use standard formatting later.)

Videos and Documentaries

“Helen Maroulis used lessons learned in London to win gold,” NBCOlympics.com

“Helen Maroulis’ mantra: ‘Christ in me, I am enough’,” NBCOlympics.com

Articles

“Zaccardi: Helen Maroulis’ takedown of a legend has been years in the making,” NBCOlympics.com

Akinnagbe, Gbenga. “A Metamorphosis on the Wrestling Mat,” The New York Times, 3/3/2012.

Smith, Tim. “Focus on NFL, injuries makes ‘X’s and O’s’ a timely entry at Center Stage,” The Baltimore Sun, 11/15/15.

Stein, Betsy. “Editor’s Letter: Lessons learned on being a supportive sports parent,” Chesapeake Family, September, 2016.

Stein, Betsy. “Parenting Plays from the Pros, Touchdown Tips to Help Young Athletes,” Chesapeake Family, September, 2016.

Books

Ditchfield, Christin. Wrestling (True Books: Sports), Grolier Publishing, NY, 2000.

Ellis, Carol. Wrestling (Martial Arts in Action), Marshall Cavendish. Benchmark, NY, 2011.

More sources coming soon!

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A Visit to Poe House

Sally Murphy is hosting the Poetry Friday round up today. Head down under to find all of this week’s links!

Poets, do you have a bucket list? A list of things you want to do before you — for example — turn 49?

My family and I have lived in the Baltimore suburbs for over 18 years. And for 18 years, we’ve talked about going to visit the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore.

I fell in love with Poe’s poetry and stories when I was in middle school. Not only was he the father of horror writing, Sherlock Holmes would not exist without Poe’s detective stories. (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle borrowed mercilessly from Poe’s story, “The Murders in the Rue Morgue.”) Then my children read him in middle school and my youngest became a Poe fan too. It’s kind of hard not to love this Dark Romantic author, whose poem “The Raven” was adopted by Baltimore’s pro football team. (We are the only NFL team whose name has literary roots.)

Finally, FINALLY!, we did it.

Last Saturday, my husband, 18-year-old, and I headed out to find the tiny little row-house on Amity Street where Poe lived with his aunt Maria Clemm and her daughter, his cousin (later, wife) Virginia for three years.

We paid our $5 each in a front room, then headed into what would have been the kitchen. Dark. Small! No natural light. (There would have been a door, the friendly guide said, but it led to the alley and the outhouse.) There would have been a little cook-stove, not a full fireplace big enough for a cooking pot. This — we learned — was an area of the city where itinerant families lived. The Clemm family didn’t have a lot of furniture or clothing. They were poor.

Sitting room on second floor (with those steep stairs!)

You cannot believe how narrow the stairs are. I imagined how claustrophobic this house must have been, with three and sometimes more people living here. Did the compressed space influence Poe’s writing?

The second floor is a sitting room with a fireplace. A highlight for me was this wooden box, a travel writing desk that belonged to Poe.

Poet’s travel writing desk. The museum keeps a list of works Poe is believed to have composed in this house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peeking into the bedroom from the top of the stairs. I can’t imagine climbing up here every day.

Another impossibly tight flight of stairs went up to the bedroom. They couldn’t have all slept here! Visiting the house gave me a new appreciation for how difficult Poe’s life must have been.

 

I couldn’t leave without buying you a souvenir. Check out this Edgar Allan Poe Keepsake Journal. I’m giving it away to one lucky reader. Leave a comment on this post and you’ll be entered in a random drawing.

I brought back a souvenir.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instead of posting my favorite Poe poem (“Alone”) today, I’ve got another surprise. Have you heard Sarah Jarosz musical rendition of “Annabelle Lee”?  When I hear this poem sung, I can’t help but think of young Virginia, who died of tuberculosis at age 24.

 

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Poetry Friday: Come Like Shadows

Carol Varsalona is hosting Poetry Friday this week. Visit Beyond Literacy Link for the PF round-up and for Carol’s Winter Wonderland gallery.

Happy Poetry Friday! January is hobbling to its frigid, icy end. It’s been a cold month in Maryland, as the blue hues of my temperature scarf will attest.

The annual February Poetry Project members are warming up for our month of daily writing. This year’s project theme is “Ekphrastic at Home.” Each day, a member of the group will share a piece of art that they own or keep on display at home.

Today’s warm-up prompt is one of three paintings I own by my grandmother, Joy Dickson. A New Yorker, child of a German Jewish engineer and his Romanian wife, Joy was destined to be a concert violinist. While studying at Julliard, she met my grandfather, a percussionist who had moved to the U.S. from France as a young child. His name was Charles Dickson. They married, struggled to start a business together, had three children (my father was the eldest). I don’t know whether she completed her degree at Julliard, but Joy never picked up a violin again.

Still, my grandmother had a creative spirit. At some point, she took classes at Parsons School of Design. I remember her always in the midst of a project. There was the large loom taking up space in her living room, a fabric made of wool and tree bark half-woven on its strings. There was a trio of monarch butterflies from her print-making class, a found-wood sculpture she signed with the pseudonym “Jandelay” so she could ask for — and get — the honest opinions of family members on her work. There was the Thanksgiving we found out she’d gone to clown college. (She was a hobo clown.)

Oil on canvas, by Joy Dickson

Although she died nearly 15 years ago, I feel like my children have grown up around Joy because her art has always been a presence in our home. The piece I shared today, a portrait of her mother Rachel (known as Rose), was probably painted when Joy was in her teens or 20s.

It was an honor to Joy’s memory to read the poems everyone wrote in response to her painting today. Some people wrote about the deep connection between mother and daughter, as if they knew the story behind this portrait.

My own poem is a memory of the last words I heard my grandmother say. It was the summer of 2003, and she was doing hospice at my parents’ home in mountains.

Come Like Shadows

By Laura Shovan

We circled her like three witches,

stripped her clothes, the old

button-down shirt she favored

since my grandfather passed.

No one had heard her voice in days.

Her hair, once auburn, thick,

wrapped in a scarf to keep

the tumor out of sight. The shower

bubbled and when we three women

pushed her under its stream,

Joy said, “Wait a minute.”

She’d told me weeks before

she was ready for this, but

as the world rolled into shadow,

she clung to its fabric. My aunt

washed her hair and I held her,

and my mother held her. No eloquence

in her words – my grandmother’s last —

but what other demand

could she make as she leaned

out of the spray to plant

a kiss on my bare shoulder?

***

On Monday, I’m participating in a guest-post at Nerdy Book Club about distance reading groups. If you geek out about middle grade books, give it a read!

Currently reading: No One Waits for the Train, by Waqas Khwaja

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Poetry Friday: Gingko

Happy Poetry Friday! Jan Godown Annino is putting on a poetry spread for us this week at Bookseedstudio.

This is a year of big transitions for my family. Our youngest turns 18 this week and is preparing to make the leap from high school to college. Shortly after that, Mr. S turns 50 and our eldest celebrates his 21st birthday.

(All of our birthdays, including Sam the dog’s, fall within five weeks. Mine is the last and — hard to believe — we are usually caked out by then.)

I am relying on long-term projects to sustain me in 2018. There are writing projects, of course. A new book is in the works, but my first goal is to finish the 2017 February Poetry Project prompts before February 2018’s new daily prompts begin.

27 down and 1 to go! More on that in a second.

I’m using nine colors in a variety of weights, but mostly sock yarn.

My second project combines knitting and science. A friend shared this pattern with me and I am in love. You pick yarn colors (9, 10, 15 — knitter’s choice) and create a chart of temperature ranges with corresponding colors. Over the course of the year, you chart the temperature (I’m doing daily highs), and knit a row or two in the corresponding color.

Instead of stockinette stitch — and after frogging a few false starts — I’m doing a K1, P1 rib.

I am having so much fun with this project! Here is the pattern at the Ravelry crochet and knitting site. It’s beginner friendly.

Back to poetry. When our children were small, we planted a tree for each of them not far from the kitchen window. Our eldest chose a gingko. Despite the cold weather, as evidenced by my knitting project, the tree is covered with little knobs. These will become buds in a few months.

As I work on the last few poems (late — so late!) from last year’s daily poetry project, it’s the ginkgo I see from my work space. And that’s how the tree found its way into this poem.

2/27/17 #10FoundWords prompt from Mary Lee Hahn

Source: “Could a Bumblebee Learn to Play Fetch? Probably”

10 Words: abilities, brain, decisions, fetch, flexibility, learn, memory, problem, puzzle, strategy

Gingko

By Laura Shovan

The gingko tree’s ability is rest–

long months of buds capped

tight under winter scalps.

Green brains sleep there,

ready to make decisions

to become fan-shaped leaves

fetching sunlight and rain.

The tree sleeps on its problems–

draught, neglect—forms

strategies for next season.

To do: learn to be flexible

in the wind. I like to think

memories are stored

in the gingko’s puzzling mazes

of would-be leaves, because

then it could be true for all of us.

In the place where old growth

breaks away, something new

is considering spring.

 

Currently reading: No One Waits for the Train, by Waqas Khwaja

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Announcing the 6th Annual February Poetry Project

We’re kicking off a new year of poetry at Reading to the Core. Stop by Catherine’s blog for all of this week’s poetry links.

Happy 2018, poets and poetry lovers. Before you know it, February will be here.

That’s right. It’s almost time for our annual daily writing workout.

A little history: For four years, my blog hosted a community poetry project.

In 2013, I celebrated my birthday month by writing every day in response to vintage postcards. I mailed the postcards, with their response poems, out to people by request. (Find the list of postcard poems here.)
In 2014, fourteen poets wrote 144 poems about Pantone paint colors. (Find the list of Pantone poems here.)
2015’s project was writing in response to sounds. Fourteen writers participated and we wrote 177 original poems. (Find the list of sound poems here.)
I was unprepared for the response our project had in 2016. The theme was found objects. Twenty-eight poets wrote 346 poems in the month of February. (Find the list of found object poems here.)

Last year, the project moved to a closed Facebook group to accommodate our growing community of about 60 poets.

The 2017 project theme, 10 Words Found in the News, helped us create beauty, humor, and satire in response to current events. This prompt worked so well that, when February was over, we continued to write 10 Words in the News poems throughout the year.

This year, we’re heading back to the project’s visual-prompt roots.

Find a full definition at the Poetry Foundation.

2018 Theme: Ekphrastic At-home

The theme of this year’s project is ekphrastic poetry (writing in response to works of art), but with a twist. Poet Ann Haman suggested that we write in response to art pieces owned by members of the group.

Beginning January 31, a group member will post a photograph of a work of art (loosely interpreted) from their home collection. Art pieces might include paintings, sculptures, kids’ creations, photographs, or beautiful oddities. There will be a sign-up in the group’s files for those who’d like to be in charge of a daily writing prompt.

Special thanks to Kip Rechea, a past participant who will be acting as a group moderator and providing some administrative help.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PROJECT NEWBIES: As always, the point of this exercise is to practice the habit of writing regularly, even if it’s just for one month. Members of the project post response poems the same day so that we can focus on generating ideas and giving positive feedback, rather than polishing for publication.

Interested in joining us? You can request to join the closed 6th Annual February Daily Poem Project here.

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Laura’s Bookshelf: Finding Perfect

Hungry for more poetry? Diane Mayr at Random Noodling is the Poetry Friday host this week. Visit her blog for links to more poetry posts.

Happy Poetry Friday!

I recently added a line to my email signature. Along with my title (poet in the schools) and the titles of my children’s novels (The Last Fifth Grade, Takedown), you will now see “Currently reading: —” listed under my name.

Publicly sharing what I’m reading is a practice I learned from educator friends, a way of showing the children we teach that adults — like kids — read for school and for pleasure.

This week I finished a book I’ve been meaning to read for months, Elly Swartz’s  middle grade novel, FINDING PERFECT. It’s the story of middle schooler and slam poet Molly, who is experiencing a lot of turbulence in her life. Her parents are back together after a brief separation, but her mother has taken a year-long job in Canada. Molly, her father, and her siblings are struggling with this transition. Each handles missing Mom in a different way.

On the surface, Molly is the perfect kid: a good friend, great student, and talented poet. But her perfectionism is a coping mechanism, hiding her anxiety. As the stress caused by her mother’s absence deepens, Molly’s obsessive compulsive tics begin to impact her friendships, family, and sense of self.

FINDING PERFECT is a favorite of upper elementary and middle school educators and their students. The first person voice allows readers to get to know Molly when she’s feeling mainly like herself. We travel through the story with her, experiencing the way OCD and anxiety gradually weigh her down. This is a great book to prompt a conversation about empathy.

Here is the Goodreads blurb for FINDING PERFECT :

To Molly Nathans, perfect is:

• The number four

• The tip of a newly sharpened number two pencil

• A crisp, white pad of paper

• Her neatly aligned glass animal figurines

What’s not perfect is Molly’s mother leaving the family to take a faraway job with the promise to return in one year. Molly knows that promises are often broken, so she hatches a plan to bring her mother home: Win the Lakeville Middle School Slam Poetry Contest. The winner is honored at a fancy banquet with table cloths. Molly’s sure her mother would never miss that. Right…?

But as time goes on, writing and reciting slam poetry become harder. Actually, everything becomes harder as new habits appear, and counting, cleaning, and organizing are not enough to keep Molly’s world from spinning out of control. 

Find it at IndieBound.

FINDING PERFECT is a great read for upper elementary through early high school.

Who will like it?

Kids who are interested in psychology and how people’s emotions work.
Kids who are experiencing a difficult separation.
Readers who enjoy friendship and family stories.

What will readers learn about?

Obsessive compulsive disorder. Swartz conducted extensive research for this novel. Resources are listed in the back.
The importance of reaching out to peers and adults during times of stress and anxiety. Some changes are too big to handle by yourself!
Empathy. Molly is a relatable character who explains why some people have nervous tics and compulsions.

The poem I’m pairing with FINDING PERFECT is “Perfection” by Naomi Katz. Lines two through four describe how Molly feels as she measures, with a ruler, the space between the glass animals collected on her shelf. As a whole, the poem reminds me of how Molly pressures herself to create the perfect slam poem for a school competition.

Perfection

Naomi Katz

Always that passion in the human breast,

That restless passion for The Perfect Thing,

With its sifting, sorting, rule and measure-string,

And a terrible eye for the error manifest.

Yet, well for the sometime jewel emerged from the quest!

And well for the seldom ore with the mellow ring!

And well for the hunter whose diligent hands can bring

One easeful object to the great Unrest.

Slow is the process, infinitely slow

Up the tedious road with Perfection for its goal;

Read the rest at the Poetry Foundation.

Swartz has another middle grade novel coming out in January. You can read more about SMART COOKIE here.

(Elly and I have something important in common: Both of us are Beagle moms! And both of us worked our beloved Beagles into our second books.)

I hope you’re snuggling up with a book and some holiday cookies this weekend.

Laura

Currently reading: EXIT WEST by Mohsin Hamid

 

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Poetry Friday: All Things Must Pass

Steps and Staircases is hosting Poetry Friday this week. Join us HERE for all of this week’s kidlit poetry posts.

Dear friends, when I’m feeling down I often turn to an old friend to help me settle my worries: George Harrison, fellow Pisces and my very favorite member of the Beatles.

My favorite albums are Let It Roll, Songs of George Harrison and Concert for George.

For Poetry Friday, I’m sharing one of George Harrison’s solo songs. The news out of Washington, DC and California has been so stressful. I’ve been sitting with the message of these lyrics today.

“All Things Must Pass”

George Harrison

Sunrise doesn’t last all morning

A cloudburst doesn’t last all day

Seems my love is up

And has left you with no warning

But it’s not always going

To be this grey

All things must pass

All things must pass away

Sunset doesn’t last all evening

A mind can blow those clouds away

After all this my love is up

And must be leaving

But it’s not always going

To be this grey

All things must pass

All things must pass away

All things must pass

None of life’s strings can last

So I must be on my way

And face another day

Read the rest here.

If you’ve never seen Martin Scorcese’s documentary about George Harrison’s life, Living in the Material World, it is phenomenal. Here is George’s demo for the song, from Scorcese’s film.

One more George recommendation! My favorite biography of George Harrison is HERE COMES THE SUN: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison. Find it on Amazon.

Who is your favorite Beatle? And whose music is like a good friend holding your hand when you’re feeling down?

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Craft Talk: Multiple Point of View Novels

A question came up in one of my kidlit groups the other day: Can young readers handle books with more than one narrator?

No surprise, there was a debate among the members. Why make books harder for kids to read by writing in more than one voice? Isn’t that confusing?

While I don’t think multiple POV books are everyone’s cup of tea, kids and teens are more resilient readers than we give them credit for. They are still forming opinions about what they like and don’t like in a book, which makes them less resistant to novels that play with form, structure, and voice than an adult reader might be.

One of my favorite authors of multi-voiced books is children’s and YA author Mary Amato. Her middle grade novel PLEASE WRITE IN THIS BOOK is a big favorite at our house. Last fall (2016), Mary and I led an intensive workshop on voice at the SCBWI MidAtlantic annual conference. Since I had recently survived writing a book in the voices of 18 fictional fifth graders, I was curious about how other multiple POV authors do it. What’s the process for writing a book when the reader shifts from one character’s viewpoint to another?

To find out, I conducted a survey of authors whose books have two or more speakers. Thanks to Jeff Zentner (THE SERPENT KING), Mary Amato (OUR TEACHER IS A VAMPIRE AND OTHER (NOT) TRUE STORIES), Ava Jae (BEYOND THE RED), Caroline Starr Rose (BLUE BIRDS), Jeff Giles (THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING), and Dee Romito (THE BFF BUCKET LIST) for answering my questions and giving me permission to share the survey below.

While I was working on THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY, I couldn’t have kept track of the 18 characters, when they spoke, how often they appeared in each section of the book, without my color coded spreadsheet.

How — and why — do other authors tackle writing a book in multiple points of view? Click through this slide show to find out. (Be sure to click the picture to expand the images.)

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.rwd-arrows.arrows_6 .rwd-prev {background-position: 139px 63px;}
.rwd-close.arrows_6 {width: 35px;height: 35px;background-position: 48px 57px;}
.barCont{background:rgba(0,0,0,.9);width:100%;height:45px;position:absolute;bottom:0;z-index:1071}
#rwd-counter{color:#999;display:inline-block;font-size:16px;padding-top:12px;vertical-align:middle}
.rwd-bar #rwd-counter{position:absolute;bottom:11px;left:50%;transform:translateX(-50%);z-index:1090}
.rwd-next,.rwd-prev,.rwd-toolbar{opacity:1;-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform .35s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .35s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,color .2s linear;-moz-transition:-moz-transform .35s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .35s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,color .2s linear;-o-transition:-o-transform .35s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .35s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,color .2s linear;transition:transform .35s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .35s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,color .2s linear}
.rwd-cont .rwd-video-cont{display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;max-width:1140px;max-height:100%;width:100%;padding:0 5px;top:50%;transform:translateY(-50%);position:relative}
.rwd-cont .rwd-container,.rwd-cont .rwd-image{max-width:100%;max-height:100%;transform:translateY(-50%);-ms-transform: translateY(-50%);-webkit-transform: translateY(-50%);-moz-transform: translateY(-50%);-o-transform: translateY(-50%);}
.rwd-cont .rwd-video{width:100%;height:0;padding-bottom:56.25%;overflow:hidden;position:relative}
.rwd-cont .rwd-video .rwd-object{display:inline-block;position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%!important;height:100%!important}
.rwd-cont .rwd-video .rwd-video-play{width:84px;height:59px;position:absolute;left:50%;top:50%;margin-left:-42px;margin-top:-30px;z-index:1080;cursor:pointer}
.rwd-cont .rwd-video-object{width:100%!important;height:100%!important;position:absolute;top:0;left:0}
.rwd-cont .rwd-has-video .rwd-video-object{visibility:hidden}
.rwd-cont .rwd-has-video.rwd-video-playing .rwd-object,.rwd-cont .rwd-has-video.rwd-video-playing .rwd-video-play{display:none}
.rwd-cont .rwd-has-video.rwd-video-playing .rwd-video-object{visibility:visible}
.rwd-autoplay-button{left:50px}
.rwd-autoplay-button > .pause_bg{display:none}
.rwd-cont .rwd-caret{border-left:10px solid transparent;border-right:10px solid transparent;border-top:10px dashed;bottom:-10px;display:inline-block;height:0;left:50%;margin-left:-5px;position:absolute;vertical-align:middle;width:0}
.rwd-cont{width:100%;height:100%;position:fixed;top:0;left:0;z-index:9999999;opacity:0;-webkit-transition:opacity .15s ease 0s;-o-transition:opacity .15s ease 0s;transition:opacity .15s ease 0s}
.rwd-cont *{-webkit-box-sizing:border-box;-moz-box-sizing:border-box;box-sizing:border-box}
.rwd-cont.rwd-visible{opacity:1}
.rwd-cont.rwd-support .rwd-item.rwd-current,.rwd-cont.rwd-support .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide,.rwd-cont.rwd-support .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition-duration:inherit!important;transition-duration:inherit!important;-webkit-transition-timing-function:inherit!important;transition-timing-function:inherit!important}
.rwd-cont .rwd-container{height:100%;width:100%;position:relative;overflow:hidden;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto;top:50%;overflow:inherit}
.rwd-cont .cont-inner{width:100%;height:100%;position:absolute;left:0;top:0;white-space:nowrap}
.rwd-cont .contInner{width:40%;height:100%;position:absolute;left:60%;white-space:nowrap;z-index: 1200;background: black}
.rwd-cont.rwd-noSupport .rwd-current,.rwd-cont.rwd-support .rwd-current,.rwd-cont.rwd-support .rwd-next-slide,.rwd-cont.rwd-support .rwd-prev-slide{display:inline-block!important}
.rwd-cont .rwd-img-wrap,.rwd-cont .rwd-item{display:inline-block;text-align:center;position:absolute;width:100%;height:100%}
.rwd-cont .rwd-img-wrap{position:absolute;padding:0 5px;left:0;right:0;top:0;bottom:0}
.rwd-cont .rwd-item.rwd-complete{background-image:none}
.rwd-cont .rwd-item.rwd-current{z-index:1060}
.rwd-cont .rwd-image{display:inline-block;vertical-align:middle;width:auto !important;height:auto !important;top:50%;position:relative}
.rwd-cont.rwd-show-after-load .rwd-item .rwd-object,.rwd-cont.rwd-show-after-load .rwd-item .rwd-video-play{opacity:0;-webkit-transition:opacity .15s ease 0s;-o-transition:opacity .15s ease 0s;transition:opacity .15s ease 0s}
.rwd-cont.rwd-show-after-load .rwd-item.rwd-complete .rwd-object,.rwd-cont.rwd-show-after-load .rwd-item.rwd-complete .rwd-video-play{opacity:1}
.rwd-overlay{position:fixed;top:0;left:0;right:0;bottom:0;z-index:9999997;background:rgba(0,0,0,.7);opacity:0;-webkit-transition:opacity .15s ease 0s;-o-transition:opacity .15s ease 0s;transition:opacity .15s ease 0s}
.rwd-overlay.in{opacity:1}
.rwd-container .rwd-thumb-cont {position: absolute;width: 100%;z-index: 1080}
.rwd-container .rwd-thumb {padding: 10px 0;height: 100%}
.rwd-container .rwd-thumb-item {border-radius: 5px;float: left;overflow: hidden;cursor: pointer;height: 100%;margin-bottom: 5px;}
@media (min-width: 768px) {.rwd-container .rwd-thumb-item {-webkit-transition: border-color 0.25s ease;-o-transition: border-color 0.25s ease;transition: border-color 0.25s ease;}}
.rwd-container .rwd-thumb-item img {width: 100%;height: 100%;object-fit: cover;}
.rwd-container .rwd-toggle-thumb {background-color: #0D0A0A;border-radius: 2px 2px 0 0;color: #999;cursor: pointer;font-size: 24px;height: 39px;line-height: 27px; padding: 5px 0;position: absolute;left: 20px;text-align: center;top: -39px;width: 50px;}

/* Open/Close effects */
.rwd-container.open_1 {animation: unfoldIn 1s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_1 {animation: unfoldOut 1s .3s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@keyframes unfoldIn {0% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleY(.002);}50% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleY(.002);}100% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleY(1);}}
@keyframes unfoldOut {0% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleY(1);}50% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleY(.002);}100% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleY(.002);}}
.rwd-container.open_2 {animation: blowUpIn .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_2 {animation: blowUpOut .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@keyframes blowUpIn {0% {transform: translateY(-50%) scale(0);}100% {transform: translateY(-50%) scale(1);}}
@keyframes blowUpOut {0% {transform: translateY(-50%) scale(1);opacity:1;}100% {transform: translateY(-50%) scale(0);opacity:0;}}
.rwd-container.open_3 {animation: roadRunnerIn .3s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_3 {animation: roadRunnerOut .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@keyframes roadRunnerIn {0% {transform:translate(-1500px, -50%) skewX(50deg) scaleX(1.3);}70% {transform:translate(30px, -50%) skewX(-25deg) scaleX(.9);}100% {transform:translate(0px, -50%) skewX(0deg) scaleX(1);}}
@keyframes roadRunnerOut {0% {transform:translate(0px, -50%) skewX(0deg) scaleX(1);}30% {transform:translate(-30px, -50%) skewX(-25deg) scaleX(.9);}100% {transform:translate(1500px, -50%) skewX(50deg) scaleX(1.3);}}
.rwd-container.open_4 {animation: runnerIn .3s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_4 {animation: runnerOut .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@keyframes runnerIn {0% {transform:translate(-1500px, -50%);}70% {transform:translate(30px, -50%);}100% {transform:translate(0px, -50%);}}
@keyframes runnerOut {0% {transform:translate(0px, -50%);}30% {transform:translate(-30px, -50%);}100% {transform:translate(1500px, -50%);}}
.rwd-container.open_5 {animation: rotateIn .3s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_5 {animation: rotateOut .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@-ms-keyframes rotateIn {from {-ms-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(0deg);} to { -ms-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(360deg);}}
@-moz-keyframes rotateIn {from {-moz-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(0deg);} to { -moz-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(360deg);}}
@-webkit-keyframes rotateIn {from {-webkit-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(0deg);} to { -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(360deg);}}
@keyframes rotateIn {from {transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(0deg);} to { transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(360deg);}}
@-ms-keyframes rotateOut {from {-ms-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(360deg);} to { -ms-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(0deg);}}
@-moz-keyframes rotateOut {from {-moz-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(360deg);} to { -moz-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(0deg);}}
@-webkit-keyframes rotateOut {from {-webkit-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(360deg);} to { -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(0deg);}}
@keyframes rotateOut {from {transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(360deg);} to { transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(0deg);}}
.rwd-container.open_1_r {animation: unfold_In 1s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_1_r {animation: unfold_Out 1s .3s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@keyframes unfold_In {0% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleX(.002);}50% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleX(.002);}100% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleX(1);}}
@keyframes unfold_Out {0% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleX(1);}50% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleX(.002);}100% {transform: translateY(-50%) scaleX(.002);}}
.rwd-container.open_2_r {animation: blowUp_In .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_2_r {animation: blowUp_Out .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@keyframes blowUp_In {0% {transform: translateY(-50%) scale(2);}100% {transform: translateY(-50%) scale(1);}}
@keyframes blowUp_Out {0% {transform: translateY(-50%) scale(1);opacity:1;}100% {transform: translateY(-50%) scale(2);opacity:0;}}
.rwd-container.open_3_r {animation: roadRunner_In .3s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_3_r {animation: roadRunner_Out .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@keyframes roadRunner_In {0% {transform:translate(1500px, -50%) skewX(50deg) scaleX(1.3);}70% {transform:translate(-30px, -50%) skewX(-25deg) scaleX(.9);}100% {transform:translate(0px, -50%) skewX(0deg) scaleX(1);}}
@keyframes roadRunner_Out {0% {transform:translate(0px, -50%) skewX(0deg) scaleX(1);}30% {transform:translate(30px, -50%) skewX(-25deg) scaleX(.9);}100% {transform:translate(-1500px, -50%) skewX(50deg) scaleX(1.3);}}
.rwd-container.open_4_r {animation: runner_In .3s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_4_r {animation: runner_Out .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@keyframes runner_In {0% {transform:translate(1500px, -50%);}70% {transform:translate(-30px, -50%);}100% {transform:translate(0px, -50%);}}
@keyframes runner_Out {0% {transform:translate(0px, -50%);}30% {transform:translate(30px, -50%);}100% {transform:translate(-1500px, -50%);}}
.rwd-container.open_5_r {animation: rotate_In .3s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
.rwd-container.close_5_r {animation: rotate_Out .5s cubic-bezier(0.165, 0.840, 0.440, 1.000);}
@-ms-keyframes rotate_In {from {-ms-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(360deg);} to { -ms-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(0deg);}}
@-moz-keyframes rotate_In {from {-moz-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(360deg);} to { -moz-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(0deg);}}
@-webkit-keyframes rotate_In {from {-webkit-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(360deg);} to { -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(0deg);}}
@keyframes rotate_In {from {transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(360deg);} to { transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(0deg);}}
@-ms-keyframes rotate_Out {from {-ms-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(0deg);} to { -ms-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(360deg);}}
@-moz-keyframes rotate_Out {from {-moz-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(0deg);} to { -moz-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(360deg);}}
@-webkit-keyframes rotate_Out {from {-webkit-transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(0deg);} to { -webkit-transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(360deg);}}
@keyframes rotate_Out {from {transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(0deg);} to { transform: translateY(-50%)rotate(360deg);}}

/* Effects */
.rwd-support.rwd-no-trans .rwd-current,.rwd-support.rwd-no-trans .rwd-next-slide,.rwd-support.rwd-no-trans .rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition:none 0s ease 0s!important;-moz-transition:none 0s ease 0s!important;-o-transition:none 0s ease 0s!important;transition:none 0s ease 0s!important}
.rwd-support.rwd-animation .rwd-item,.rwd-support.rwd-use .rwd-item{-webkit-backface-visibility:hidden;-moz-backface-visibility:hidden;backface-visibility:hidden}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_1 .rwd-item,.rwd-support.slider_effect_3 .rwd-item,.rwd-support.slider_effect_4 .rwd-item,.rwd-support.slider_effect_5 .rwd-item,.rwd-support.slider_effect_6 .rwd-item,.rwd-support.slider_effect_7 .rwd-item,.rwd-support.slider_effect_8 .rwd-item,.rwd-support.slider_effect_9 .rwd-item,.rwd-support.slider_effect_10 .rwd-item{opacity:0}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_1 .rwd-item.rwd-current{opacity:1}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_1 .rwd-item.rwd-current,.rwd-support.slider_effect_1 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide,.rwd-support.slider_effect_1 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition:opacity .1s ease 0s;-moz-transition:opacity .1s ease 0s;-o-transition:opacity .1s ease 0s;transition:opacity .1s ease 0s}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-use .rwd-item{opacity:0}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-use .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transform:translate3d(-100%,0,0);transform:translate3d(-100%,0,0)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-use .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide{-webkit-transform:translate3d(100%,0,0);transform:translate3d(100%,0,0)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-use .rwd-item.rwd-current{-webkit-transform:translate3d(0,0,0);transform:translate3d(0,0,0);opacity:1}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-use .rwd-item.rwd-current,.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-use .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide,.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-use .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-moz-transition:-moz-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-o-transition:-o-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;transition:transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-animation .rwd-item{opacity:0;position:absolute;left:0}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-animation .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{left:-100%}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-animation .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide{left:100%}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-animation .rwd-item.rwd-current{left:0;opacity:1}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-animation .rwd-item.rwd-current,.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-animation .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide,.rwd-support.slider_effect_2.rwd-animation .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition:left 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-moz-transition:left 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-o-transition:left 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;transition:left 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_3 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-moz-transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(-100%,0,0);-o-transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(-100%,0,0);-ms-transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(-100%,0,0);-webkit-transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(-100%,0,0);transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(-100%,0,0)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_3 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide{-moz-transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(100%,0,0);-o-transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(100%,0,0);-ms-transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(100%,0,0);-webkit-transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(100%,0,0);transform:scale3d(1,0,1) translate3d(100%,0,0)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_3 .rwd-item.rwd-current{-moz-transform:scale3d(1,1,1) translate3d(0,0,0);-o-transform:scale3d(1,1,1) translate3d(0,0,0);-ms-transform:scale3d(1,1,1) translate3d(0,0,0);-webkit-transform:scale3d(1,1,1) translate3d(0,0,0);transform:scale3d(1,1,1) translate3d(0,0,0);opacity:1}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_3 .rwd-item.rwd-current,.rwd-support.slider_effect_3 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide,.rwd-support.slider_effect_3 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-moz-transition:-moz-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-o-transition:-o-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;transition:transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_4 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-moz-transform:rotate(-360deg);-o-transform:rotate(-360deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-360deg);-webkit-transform:rotate(-360deg);transform:rotate(-360deg)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_4 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide{-moz-transform:rotate(360deg);-o-transform:rotate(360deg);-ms-transform:rotate(360deg);-webkit-transform:rotate(360deg);transform:rotate(360deg)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_4 .rwd-item.rwd-current{-moz-transform:rotate(0deg);-o-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);opacity:1}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_4 .rwd-item.rwd-current,.rwd-support.slider_effect_4 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide,.rwd-support.slider_effect_4 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-moz-transition:-moz-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-o-transition:-o-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;transition:transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_5 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-moz-transform:rotate(360deg);-o-transform:rotate(360deg);-ms-transform:rotate(360deg);-webkit-transform:rotate(360deg);transform:rotate(360deg)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_5 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide{-moz-transform:rotate(-360deg);-o-transform:rotate(-360deg);-ms-transform:rotate(-360deg);-webkit-transform:rotate(-360deg);transform:rotate(-360deg)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_5 .rwd-item.rwd-current{-moz-transform:rotate(0deg);-o-transform:rotate(0deg);-ms-transform:rotate(0deg);-webkit-transform:rotate(0deg);transform:rotate(0deg);opacity:1}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_5 .rwd-item.rwd-current,.rwd-support.slider_effect_5 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide,.rwd-support.slider_effect_5 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-moz-transition:-moz-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-o-transition:-o-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;transition:transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_6 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transform:translate3d(-100%,0,0);transform:translate3d(-100%,0,0)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_6 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide{-moz-transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5);-o-transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5);-ms-transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5);-webkit-transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5);transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_6 .rwd-item.rwd-current{-webkit-transform:translate3d(0,0,0);transform:translate3d(0,0,0);opacity:1}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_6 .rwd-item.rwd-current,.rwd-support.slider_effect_6 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide,.rwd-support.slider_effect_6 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-webkit-transition:-webkit-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-moz-transition:-moz-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;-o-transition:-o-transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s;transition:transform 1s cubic-bezier(0,0,.25,1) 0s,opacity .1s ease 0s}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_7 .rwd-item.rwd-prev-slide{-moz-transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5);-o-transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5);-ms-transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5);-webkit-transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5);transform:translate3d(0,0,0) scale(.5)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_7 .rwd-item.rwd-next-slide{-webkit-transform:translate3d(100%,0,0);transform:translate3d(100%,0,0)}
.rwd-support.slider_effect_7 .rwd-item.rwd-current{-webkit-transform:translate3d(0,0,0);transform:translate3d(0,0,0);opacity:1}
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What do I love about reading stories told from more than one point of view?  A story with more than one narrator asks the reader to stitch together different takes on the book’s events — much like piecing Caroline’s quilt — in order to build meaning.  This active style of reading builds empathy because it helps readers understand something profound: Even though we share experiences, everyone — in fiction and in life — uses their individual experiences as a lens through which they view the world.

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Poetry Friday: December Notes

It’s the first day of December, Poetry Friday friends. This week’s host is Mary Lee Hahn at A Year of Reading. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and head over to her blog, where you’ll find some poetry to warm you up.

I went searching for a December poem and came upon this beauty by Nancy McCleery. Last winter, we installed a small Lucite bird feeder on our kitchen window. Visitors include a cardinal family, chickadees, titmice, wrens, and (most fascinating to our dog, Sam) a squirrel. The images in this poem are striking, yet capture the quietness we can experience during a cold winter.

December Notes

By Nancy McCleery

The backyard is one white sheet

Where we read in the bird tracks

The songs we hear. Delicate

Sparrow, heavier cardinal,

Filigree threads of chickadee.

And wing patterns where one flew

Low, then up an away, gone

To the woods but calling out

Clearly its bright epigrams.

Read the rest at My Minnesota Notes.

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Poetry Friday: Peanut Butter Cookies

Where are the poets hanging out this week? With the Rain City Librarian! You’ll find links to original poetry, book reviews, and more here.

It’s almost Thanksgiving, Poetry Friday fans. That means baking season is upon us. At our house, Mr. S is the cook. Baking – that’s my job.

I’m not usually adventurous when it comes to baking. However, when chili-infused dark chocolate bars hit the market, so did some kitchen inspiration. I came up with a spicy version of traditional peanut butter cookies. After a few test batches, I had a winner — a cookie that my family loves. Mr. S, who is a fan of all things spicy, says these cookies are addictive. (Recipe below.)

This year, I got brave and entered my cookies in the Baltimore Sun’s annual holiday cookie contest. They made the first cut, but were not selected to appear in the paper. However, I’m not crying into my cookie dough. It was  fun to take a chance on something that was creative, but not writing-related.

Since it’s Poetry Friday, I went searching for a poem to pair with the recipe and came across Edwin Romond’s wonderful “Peanut Butter Cookies” at Your Daily Poem. And since I’m reading Nikki Grimes book of Golden Shovel poems, ONE LAST WORD: WISDOM FROM THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE, I thought I’d attempt a Peanut Butter Cookie Golden Shovel poem. I also made this poem an acrostic. You’ll find both Edwin Romond’s poem and my Golden Shovel after the recipe.

Laura’s Spicy Peanut Butter Cookies

AKA PB and Bay Cookies

My version is regional, using two beloved Baltimore ingredients. I’ll include a standard option for those of you out of state who want to give these treats a try.

Ingredients

DOUGH

½ cup butter

½ cup chunky peanut butter (I use Smart Balance)

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 egg

1 cup crushed Utz potato chips, divided use (place between 2 paper towels, crush with rolling pin)

Standard option: Use potato chips of your choice

1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning, or to taste

Standard option: Chili powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

COATING

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons crushed potato chips

1/2 – 1 teaspoon Old Bay or chili powder

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375. Grease 2-3 cookie sheets.

Cream the butter and peanut butter.
Cream in brown sugar, then beat in egg.
Sift the flour and salt. Stir in with 2/3 cup of the crushed potato chips.

Dough will be stiff.

Roll into balls. (I use a heaping tablespoon.)
Roll the balls in the coating.
Place about an inch apart on the cookie sheet. Press down on the top of each cookie with a fork, making a criss-cross design.
Bake 9-12 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. Delicious eaten warm!

Let’s wash down those cookies with some poetry.

Peanut Butter Cookies

By Edwin Romond

My mother made them from memory

giving me my own memory of winter

in our kitchen, the salty aroma

of peanut butter cookies from the oven,

and the torture of waiting for them to cool

on the window sill overlooking Albert St.

in the Eisenhower 50s of my childhood.

I remember her mixing brown sugar,

butter, and spoons of Skippy. She never

checked a cookbook and they tasted

like no other cookies tasted. “I just know,”

she’d say if I asked her how she did this

then she’d wrap them in foil and sing

along with Perry Como on our radio.

They were as special as she was, a quiet

woman who took small joys in life

around the house. I know she knew

how much those cookies meant to me

for years later she apologized, as if

it were her fault, when a stroke at 80

erased the recipe from her mind.

Read the rest of the poem here. Have a tissue ready.

Golden Shovel: Cookie Acrostic

By Laura Shovan

Come to me, my

Oven-baked delight, mother

Of all comfort treats, home-made

Kick of sugar. My teeth — feel them

Inch along your edges, savoring bites from

Every crumble, until you’re a delicious memory.

These cookies, from All Recipes, resemble PB and Bays.

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